SECTION I.
The One
Hundred and Forty-Four Thousand
This subject of Revelation 7 is doubtless
the most frequently discussed Bible subject by Seventh-day Adventists and other
Bible students, than any other Biblical truth.
Many theories have been advanced by the denomination, but not one has
stood the test without contradiction.
Great men of both Biblical and secular knowledge have diligently
searched the Bible and have proved nothing as to who this company is.
We read in Great Controversy, page 397:
"The spirit of error will lead us from the truth, and the Spirit of God
will lead us into truth. But, say you, a
man may be in an error, and think he has the truth. What then?
We answer, The Spirit and word agree.
If a man judges himself by the word of God, and finds a perfect harmony
through the whole word, then he must believe he has the truth; but if he finds
the spirit by which he is led does not harmonize with the whole tenor of God's
law or book, then let him walk carefully, lest he be caught in the snare of the
devil."
Sister E.G. White was doubtless far more
acquainted with this subject than any one living at this time, for she wrote
much about them and had visions of them.
There is no doubt that she, too, spent much time in searching both from
the Bible and her own writings, but she has failed to point out the exact
company by assembling the references together, and clear the mystery. The question is: Why have all these godly
people who earnestly searched for the truth failed to produce any evidence as
to who this wonderful company really is?
The answer we give is: Because it was not present truth in their time.
Sister White could have given a theory of
some kind far more fitting and correct than any other theory ever
advanced. She used wisdom and good
judgment in leaving out her own opinion.
God will make these things known at the appointed time only. Men may
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be made to believe a thing for a while, but except it
be truth, it cannot last. Thus it would
be unwise and a waste of time for one to try to tell who the
144,000 are, until the scroll has made a turn and one truth reveals
another. If this study would unmask the
mystery and harmonize with the Scriptures and the Spirit of Prophecy, then we
must conclude that God's appointed time for this subject has come.
Sister White had received inspiration on
this subject, but, like Daniel, was not permitted to know who, how, and when
made, until Gods appointed time. The
following is a quotation made by her to Elder E.E. Andross: "I
feel confident, Elder Andross, that the brethren in
Southern California will find blessing in reviewing the teachings of Scripture
concerning the 144,000 and bringing to bear upon these teachings whatever of
light there may be in the published writings of the Spirit of Prophecy, and as
prayerful consideration is given the matter in all its bearings, I believe that
God will make the truth sufficiently clear to make possible the avoidance of
needless and unprofitable questions not vital to the salvation of precious
souls."
Some day this subject must be understood,
for Inspiration makes no useless statements, and it cannot be in the Bible for
a trinket. It must be understood before
the number (144,000) is made or it would be of no value. When understood, it will guide the feet of
the 144,000 in the straight path just as the first, second, and third angel's
messages have led thousands of souls to Christ.
Matters Not, So Long As One Does Right?
It has been said by some that it matters not
whether one understands the subject of the 144,000 or not, so long as he does
right. This is certainly true if we DO
RIGHT, but how do we know whether we do right or not, except we understand
Bible doctrines? How can we know whether we keep the right Sabbath, or belong
to the right church, unless we understand that doctrine? Why is it important
to understand Daniel 7, the beast and his image, and many other Bible
prophecies? If we do not understand the
subject of the 144,000, we may not be sealed, for it would be worthless to
understand
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it after the sealing, just as it would be of no value
to understand the beast and his image after his work on earth is finished.
The angel's message of Revelation 7--the
angel ascending from the east--is as important as the first, second, and third
angel's messages of Rev. 14:6-11. It
must be understood and given to the people at the right time, as also the
mighty angel of Rev. 18:1. The loud cry
must come at a given time. This angel of
Revelation 7, can not be the third angel, for John's
explanation of them differ. The three
angels of Revelation 14 are flying in the midst of heaven, or where the sun
stands at
Meaning Of
Seven Years Of Plenty And Seven Years Of Famine Found Only
When the perplexing subject is made clear,
then we must believe that the time is here, but this as all Bible truth, is
found only one way, and in one place; namely, the storehouse (the Bible). Bear in mind that as Joseph of ancient days
controlled the storehouse, even so Christ controls the Scriptures and the
times. Many godly men in the past went
to Christ (Joseph) and got all the present truth (corn) for that particular
time that they could assimilate. While
He (Christ) is liberal, He is also careful, and therefore has nothing to waste. When Joseph gathered the corn in
Reasons for believing that the seven years
of plenty and the seven years of famine in the days of Joseph in ancient
In Volume 3, page 369, we read, "Isaac
was a figure of the Son of God, who was offered a sacrifice for the sins of the
world." Again
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we read in Desire of Ages, page 112, "And in the
ram divinely provided in the place of Isaac, Abraham saw a symbol of Him who
was to die for the sins of men."
Thus Isaac and the ram are symbols of Christ's submission, death, and
sacrifice.
Of Jonah, we read in Desire of Ages, page
406, "As Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale,
Christ was to be the same time 'in the heart of the earth.' And as the preaching of Jonah was a sign to
the Ninevites, so Christ's preaching was a sign to
His generation." See also Prophets
and Kings, page 274.
Elisha was a
symbol of Christ. Prophets and Kings,
page 240: "Like the Saviour of mankind, of whom he was a type, Elisha in his
ministry among men combined the work of healing with that of
teaching." These are the reasons
why Isaac, Jonah, and Elisha are types of Christ,
representing the different phases and imports of the work of Christ.
Of Joseph we read in Patriarchs and
Prophets, page 369: "Joseph was a representative of Christ. In their benefactor to whom all
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"Moreover he said unto me, Son of man,
eat that thou findest; eat this roll, and go speak
unto the house of
The latter prophecy has been applied to
William Miller after he had studied the book of Daniel and accepted its
teaching. Symbolically speaking, he ate
the little book, which became a part of him and his co-workers. Had this not been true, he would not have
proclaimed the message with such enthusiasm as he did. As the expected event failed to transpire in
1844, to them it was a bitter experience, thus fulfilling the Scriptures that
men have eaten the Word of God.
If the corn does not represent the Word as
in the Bible, then the question may be asked, Of what
is Joseph a type? Isaac, Jonah, and Elisha each represent a certain phase of Christ's work, and
if Joseph represents Christ; the food gathered,--the Word; the storehouse,--the
Bible, then the seven years of plenty, during which time the food was gathered
must be a symbol, otherwise the picture could not be perfect; and if the years
of plenty are a type, then the years of famine must be taken into
consideration. Each of these two
sections of time bear the number "seven," meaning
"perfect", fullness of time (entire, or all of the time).
The symbol can represent only one thing, and
that is the world's history in two great divisions of time; namely B.C. and
A.D. with
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the cross (Christ), the dividing line. "For all the prophets and the law
prophesied until John." It is for
this reason Jesus made the statement for we have no other thus far. The years of plenty is
B.C. in which
time God gave plenty to supply the world's need for the years of famine (New
Testament time, A.D.). As Joseph
gathered the corn into storehouses by his servants,--the Egyptians, just so
Christ gathered the Word of God (spiritual food) in the Bible (the storehouse)
by His servants, the prophets. "God
who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in
time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto
us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made
the worlds." Heb. 1:1, 2. Had it not been for this purpose then we ask, what could it have been for? God who was responsible for the event did it
not to bring hardships to His subjects, or to starve the world, as the famine
was not in
If the seven years of plenty and the seven
years of famine are not a type of the world's history; Joseph's immense
storehouses not a type of the Bible; the corn gathered in the seven years of
plenty not a type of the Word in the Bible; the feeding of the world not a type
of the New Testament time consuming the Scriptures gathered in the Old
Testament time; then we ask, Where are the types for all these events? Has not God given the gospel in types as well
as in prophecy? "Christ was the
foundation of the Jewish economy. The
whole system of types and symbols was compacted prophecy of the gospel, a
presentation in which were bound up the promises of
redemption.'' Acts of the Apostles, page 14.
If the seven years of plenty and the seven years of famine did not
represent the world's history, the coincidents as
well shall endeavor to bring forth could hardly have been possible by an
accident. Jesus said, "Gather up
the crumbs
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that there be no waste." It was His Word that multiplied the loaves
and fishes; these crumbs represent the very words He spoke.
We read the following in Volume 2, page 606:
"I am authorized from God to tell you that not another ray of light
through the Testimonies will shine upon your pathway, until you make a practical
use of the light already given."
But now we must have corn or else we shall die. As a people we have much boasted that we have
all the truth, but such a statement can not be found between the pages of the
Spirit of Prophecy. "Not another
ray of light will shine upon your pathway until you make a practical use of the
light already given." These words
suggest that there is more light to shine, and light
is truth. Again,
quoting from Testimonies to Ministers, page 107: "No one should claim that
he has all the light there is for God's people. The Lord will not tolerate this. He has said, 'I have set before thee an open
door, and no man can shut it.' Even if all our leading men should refuse light
and truth, that door will still remain open.
The Lord will raise up men who will give the
people the message for this time."
Seven Years Of
Plenty, And Seven Years Of Famine
The seven years of plenty and seven years of
famine in the days of Joseph in ancient
Pharaoh's dream recorded in Gen. 41:17-20, reads as follows: "In my
dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river: And, behold,
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there came up out of the
river seven kine, fat-fleshed and well favored; and
they fed in a meadow: And, behold, seven other kine came
up after them, Poor and very ill favored and lean-fleshed, such as I never saw
in all the land of Egypt for badness: And the lean and the ill favored kine did eat up the first seven fat kine."
Note that the seven lean and ill favored kine did eat
the fat-fleshed kine.
By reading Gen. 41:21, we find the seven lean kine
did not put on flesh after consuming the seven fat kine,
which indicates that there will be no scriptures in reserve, but that all will
be brought to light. The thought is that
the seven years (A.D.) will consume all the corn (Word) in the seven years
(B.C.) as represented also by the ears of corn in Gen. 41:22-24. Is this not clear that all
the writings in the Old Testament will be fulfilled and understood before the
end of A.D. (the
second coming of Christ)? But is it not
true that the biggest part or portion is not yet understood? How can one say that he has all the truth and
does not and cannot explain a large portion of the Bible? Shall we pray to God
to open our eyes that we may see and arise from this Laodicean
lethargy into which we have fallen?
Who Are The 144,000?
The subject is, "Who are the
144,000?" First mention of this
number in the Bible is in Rev. 7:4: "And I heard the number of them which
were sealed: And there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of
all the tribes of the children of
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can easily understand why the expression "but
come" is used, meaning suddenly appearing without warning. This angel is the Loud Cry angel, an addition
to the third angel and the message of the fall of
Early Writings, page 277: "Then I saw
another mighty angel commissioned to descend to the earth, to unite his voice
with the third angel, and give power and force to his message. Great power and glory were imparted to the
angel, and as he descended, the earth was lightened with his glory. The light which attended this angel
penetrated everywhere, as he cried mightily, with a strong voice, '
Of the three angels of Rev. 14:6-11, John
writes: "And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven,...and the third angel followed them." These angels,
following each other, were seen flying in the midst of heaven where the sun
would be at mid-day, in its full strength.
There is a difference between these angels and the ones in Revelation 7
and 18:1. These angels are neither
"ascending" nor "come," but continue to "fly in the
midst of heaven." The meaning is
that these angels' messages are not as powerful as the one of Rev. 18:1, for John
says he saw the angel "come," that is, stand upon the earth. The angel mentioned here is near by, but the
other three
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angels are at a distance.
This symbol shows that they could not be as powerful as the one that is
close by, but these three angels are flying and continue to fly. The meaning is that while they are not as
powerful, they continue a long time until this other angel of Rev. 18:1 joins
in with them, as it has been with the first, second, and third angel's messages
until now.
We go back to the angel of Revelation 7, the
one in which we are most interested at the present time. This particular angel is ascending from the
east. "Ascending" here could
not mean departing or flying away, but simply coming, or advancing. For example, in the morning while the sun is
rising or ascending, the temperature gains in heat as it nears mid-day, just so
with this angel that is to seal the 144,000.
The angel was seen coming, but he is taking time. The sealing cannot begin until after he
arrives, for the seal of the living God is in his possession. If we can locate the time when he arrives we
may know the beginning of the sealing time of the 144,000. Did we know the time when the first second, and third angel's messages began? Our answer is:
Yes.
There is no reason for not knowing the
definite time when this angel of Revelation 7 arrives. If we did not know the time, we would have no
message, and if Satan can deceive us from present truth, he has won with his
deceptive powers. John's prophecy in
Revelation 7, of this ascending angel was only a vision of something to come,
and the fulfillment of this prophecy was realized when Sister White was given
her first vision in 1844, which was a vision of the 144,000. Read Early Writings, pages 13-20. John prophesied of this movement and the
scene of the angel ascending in the east (John's vision) became a reality in
1844, but the angel is in the east, and we must await his arrival, for when he
arrives, the sealing begins.
Do The 144,000 Ever Die?
"The living saints, 144,000 in
number;" we must not conclude that only a part of the whole can constitute
the number and yet be true, for the statement made by Inspiration cannot be
contradicted for
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it reads "144,000 in number." When mention is made of this company, it is
at the same time when God makes known the day and hour of Jesus coming. If we can locate at what time of the world's
history God speaks the day and hour of Jesus' coming, then we may know more
about this company. Quoting Early
Writings, page 285: "But there was one clear place of settled glory,
whence came the voice of God like many waters, shaking the heavens and the
earth. There was a mighty
earthquake. The graves were opened, and
those who had died in faith under the third angel's message, keeping the
Sabbath, came forth....And as God spoke the day and the hour of Jesus' coming,
and delivered the everlasting covenant to His people."
One may here suppose that the risen and the living
make the number, but we do not believe the Spirit of Prophecy would call both
companies (the living and the resurrected) living saints. The 144,000 are living saints; the others, resurrected Sabbath keepers. To make it positive, another reference is
given, found in Great Controversy, page 637: "Great hailstones, every one
'about the weight of a talent,' are doing their work of destruction. The proudest cities of the earth are laid
low....Graves are opened, and "many of them that sleep in the dust of the
earth...awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting
contempt." All who have died in the
faith of the third angel's message come forth from the tomb glorified, to hear
God's covenant of peace with those who have kept His law." This makes it positive that the resurrected
Sabbath keepers come forth in the special resurrection of Daniel 12. This is the time when the great hailstones
are doing their destructive work (7th plague).
"And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air;...And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven,
every stone about the weight of a talent: And men blasphemed God because of the
plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great." Rev.
16:17, 21. The resurrected Sabbath
keepers did not live during the time of the plagues, for they were resurrected
at the time of the seventh plague, so that they hear the announcement of the
day and the hour of Jesus' coming.
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If evidence can be brought to view that the
144,000 (in number) lived before the seventh plague, then we have positive
proof that the 144,000 never died. Great
Controversy, page 649: "And they sing 'a new song' before the throne, a
song which no man can learn save the 144,000.
It is the song of Moses and the Lamb,--a song of deliverance. None but the 144,000 can learn that song; for
it is the song of their experience,--an experience such as no other company
have ever had....They have seen the earth wasted with famine and pestilence,
the sun having power to scorch men with great heat, and they themselves have
endured suffering, hunger, and thirst." Here is a positive statement that
the 144,000 lived in the time of the fourth plague, the sun having power to
scorch men with great heat. "And
the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him
to scorch men with fire." Rev. 16:8.
This is the fourth plague. How
could they (144,000) go through the fourth plague if the special resurrection
of the Sabbath keepers (those who died under the third angel's message) did not
take place until about the end of the seventh plague? If "they have seen the earth wasted with
famine and pestilence and they themselves have suffered hunger and
thirst", they must have lived through all the plagues.
Again, "They sing a new
song"....which no man can learn save the 144,000....for it is the song of
their experience,--an experience such as no other company
have ever had." How can it
be possible for all to sing the same song if it is a song of their experience
except they all have the same experience?
Those who had been in the grave would have the experience of death,
grave, resurrection, and receiving a new body.
But those who never died have seen the fulfillment of Ezekiel 9; Isaiah
63; Isaiah 60; the closing of the third angel's message, (the loud cry, close
of probation), all of the seven last plagues, and they sing this song (of their
experience and deliverance) "which no man can learn save the 144,000."
Will Sister White Be With The 144,000?
Sister White was taken in vision to one of
the planets which had
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seven moons, where she met good old Enoch. This place was so beautiful and her desire
for it so keen, she begged the angel to let her stay. "Then the angel said, 'You must go back,
and if you are faithful, you, with the 144,000 shall have the privilege of
visiting all the worlds and viewing the handiwork of God'." See Early
Writings, page 40. There is no
contradiction in this statement, for the angel told her that she, with the
144,000, meaning she is one with them but not one of them. She will doubtless be with them for she may
be termed as the mother of them (being the messenger and founder of this
movement), nor can we suppose they will sing the song of Moses and he (Moses)
not be there. Because they are the
144,000, a special company with a special experience, is no reason why others
could not travel with them, for undoubtedly Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will be
with them, being the fathers in type.
What objection could be made if others would journey with them? We may
suppose that Jesus would give to all the redeemed at least one trip to the
other worlds.
Only 144,000 Enter
"And as we were about to enter the holy
temple, Jesus raised His lovely voice and said, 'Only the 144,000 enter this
place', and we shouted, 'Alleluia.' This
temple was supported by seven pillars all of transparent gold, set with pearls
most glorious. The wonderful things I
there saw, I cannot describe....I saw there tables of stone in which the names
of the 144,000 were engraved in letters of gold. After we beheld the glory of the temple, we
went out." Early Writings, page 19.
It is clear that no others were to enter the holy temple except the
144,000, and again it is clear that she went in, for she says, "The
wonderful things I there saw, I cannot describe," and "after we
beheld the glory of the temple, we went out." She could not see the things inside the temple
unless she had gone in, and she could not have come out if she had never
entered in.
Some may think that Sister White is one of
the 144,000 because she entered this temple, and now that she is dead that part
of the
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144,000 will be
resurrected. There is no cause for
confusion here. She could have entered
the temple before, or after, or she could have gone right along with them, and
still it would not change the thought.
We must remember this is only a vision and not the real 144,000. They were not made up at that time, neither
was she bodily there. This vision was
given for her to make a report and reveal a certain truth. In other words, she was a reporter. What kind of a report could have been given
if she had not entered the temple? The
command, "only the 144,000 enter here, had no reference to her whether she
should stay out or enter. She is one with
them, but not one of them.
What Kind Of Seal Is It?
Reference is made in Testimonies to
Ministers, page 445. The subject is
about the sealing of Revelation 7, the 144,000.
We quote: "This sealing of the servants of God is the same that was
shown to Ezekiel in vision." Now if the sealing of the 144,000 of Revelation
7, is the same as Ezekiel 9, in order to find the kind of sealing it is, and
the time of its beginning, we must study Ezekiel 9:1-9: "He cried also in
mine ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause them that have charge over the city
to draw near, even every man with his destroying weapon in his hand. And, behold, six men came from the way of the
higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one
man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer's inkhorn by his side: and
they went in, and stood beside the brazen altar. And the glory of the God of Israel was gone
up from the cherub, whereupon He was, to the threshold of the house. And He called to the man clothed with linen
which had the writer's inkhorn by his side; And the Lord said unto him, Go
through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark
upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations
that be done in the midst thereof. And
to the others He said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and
smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity: Slay utterly old
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and young, both maids, and little children, and women:
but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my
sanctuary. Then they began at the
ancient men which were before the house.
And He said unto them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the
slain: go ye forth. And they went forth,
and slew in the city. And it came to
pass, while they were slaying them, and I was left, that I fell upon my face,
and cried, and said, Ah Lord God! wilt thou destroy
all the residue of
The Two Seals
Is the Sabbath the seal of the 144,000?
First of all it will be noticed that the definition of "seal" is: An
instrument which is used to seal, fasten up, or enclose securely; to establish
or settle beyond question; to point out and determine; designate. An effort will be made to bring forth enough
Bible evidence to satisfy anyone believing in the Scriptures that all who were
saved in the ages past as well as those who are to be saved now must have the
seal of God. Paul, in his letter to the
Ephesians said that they were to be sealed.
"And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto
the day of redemption." Eph. 4:30.
The grace of sanctification wrought in the soul by the Holy Ghost is the
seal and assurance of one's redemption to come, of a joyful resurrection. The use and end of this sealing is the
sacredness and safety of the thing sealed from the eyes of curiosity and hands
of violence, which otherwise would be abused by strangers and enemies; thus the
children of God are past the censure
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of the wicked world.
They are preserved as precious things for God's own use, to be with Him
in heaven. Quoting 2 Tim. 2:19, written
to the Corinthians: "Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal,
The Lord knoweth them that are His." "Who hath also sealed us, and given the
earnest of the Spirit in our hearts." 2 Cor.
We read in Revelation 8 and 9, of the seven
angels with the seven trumpets. These
seven trumpets indicate the principal political and warlike events which were
to transpire during the time of the gospel church. The sealing of the 144,000 belongs to the
time of the sixth trumpet. Beginning
with Rev. 9:1, we read about the angel with the fifth trumpet. Verse 4 of this chapter we quote: "And
it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither
any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal
of God in their foreheads." Here we see that many years before the third
angel's message ever began to be preached, the saints of God were sealed with
the seal of God, just the same as the ones under the third angel's message are
to be sealed. According to these
scriptures which are plainly stated, we must conclude that the saints of God
are sealed with present truth in all ages, and whatever that present truth is,
that is the seal. Present truth under
the third' angel's message is Sabbath truth,
therefore, the Sabbath is a seal which seals the people who are obedient to
it. Quoting Great
Controversy, page 452: "The seal of God's law is found in the fourth
commandment....When the Sabbath was changed by the papal power, the seal was
taken from the law." Early Writings, page 58: "The sealing time
is very short, and will soon be over."
Those who died under the third angel's
message, keeping the Sabbath, are sealed with the Sabbath truth, but the
144,000 never die. While they must keep
Sabbath and have that seal, they must sigh and cry for the abominations that
are in the church, for otherwise they can not receive the mark by the angel
with the writer's inkhorn of Ezekiel 9, which is the seal according to
Testimonies to Ministers, page 445; Volume 5, pages 210-16; Volume 3, pages
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266-7. The sealing of the 144,000 is the
separation of the faithful from the disloyal ones; the purification of the
church. Those who do not keep the truth,
and indulge in the sins and abominations, who try to throw a cloak over the
existing evils, will fall under the figure of the five men with the slaughter
weapons of Ezekiel 9.
The Sabbath has been present truth since
1845, and being the seal of the law of God has been sealing the law among the
people of God ever since that year. Isa.
Ezekiel 9 Is Not A
Sabbath Seal
This
sealing of the 144,000 is not a Sabbath seal.
However, those who are sealed must be Sabbath keepers. It is a seal, or mark, that separates the two
classes in the church, and those who are sealed, or marked are not marked
because they keep Sabbath only, but because they sigh and cry for all the
abominations that are done in the church.
So both the sealing and the slaughter are in God's church, and not in
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interest of the people.
See Volume 3, pages 266, 267, and Volume 5, pages 210-212.
We quote Volume 5, page 211: "The
ancient men, those to whom God had given great light, and who had stood as
guardians of the spiritual interests of the people, had betrayed their trust. They had taken the position that we need not
look for miracles and the marked manifestation of God's power as in former
days. Times have changed. These words strengthen their unbelief, and
they say The Lord will not do good, neither will He do
evil. He is too merciful to visit His
people in judgment." Volume 3, page 265: "But if the sins of the
people are passed over by those in responsible positions, His frown will be
upon them, and the people of God, as a body, will be held responsible for those
sins.'
Those who are sealed (marked) and escape the ruin are the ones who will constitute the number
which prophecy declares to be 144,000.
Our denomination numbers about 300,000.
This means the denomination will be divided in half and suggests the ten
virgins, five of whom were wise and five were foolish. In other words, half and
half. May God help His people,
and give us a vision of what sin is that we may put away the existing
disastrous iniquity in the church (the house of God). Such a vision would cause us to sigh and cry
for the abominations that are done in the midst thereof. He who understands the curse of sin would
throw no cloak over the existing evil to obtain the favor of any. May God lift us from the low spiritual level
into which we have fallen, and save us from this Laodicean,
lukewarm condition. May we, as wise Ninevah of old, defeat the prophecy, that
heaven may rejoice.
Sealing Begins--Church At Low Ebb
It is evident that if both the sealing and
the slaughter are in the house of God, the church (His people), and if more
than one-half of the people must perish for their sins except they repent, and
if less than one-half of the present membership would number 144,000, it
certainly could not have begun many years ago; and much less with
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the beginning of the third angel's message, for there
was no church then but merely a handful of people. It could not have begun when the church was
in a good, spiritual condition. It must
have begun when the church is at her lowest level, and polluted with sin. Those who are to receive the seal and escape
the slaughter must sigh and cry for all the abomination that is done in the
midst thereof. Volume 8, page 250, says,
"Unless the church, which is now being leavened with her own backsliding,
shall repent and be converted, she will eat of the fruit of her own doing,
until she shall abhor herself."
Speaking of the 144,000, Volume 5, pages
210-11, says, "These sighing, crying ones had been holding forth the words
of life; [a message] they had reproved, counseled, and entreated. Some who had been
dishonoring God, repented and humbled their hearts before Him. But the glory of the Lord had departed from
Volume 5, page 82: "The call to this
great and solemn work was presented to men of learning and position; had these
been little in their own eyes, and trusted fully in the Lord, He would have
honored
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them with bearing His standard in triumph to the
victory. But they separated from God,
yielded to the influence of the world, and the Lord rejected them."
Volume 5, pages 211-12: "They had taken
the position that we need not look for miracles and the marked manifestation of
God's power as in former days. Times
have changed. These words strengthen
their unbelief, and they say, The Lord will not do good,
neither will He do evil. He is too
merciful to visit His people in judgment.
Thus peace and safety is the cry from men who will never again lift up
their voice like a trumpet to show God's people their transgressions and the
house of Jacob their sins. These dumb
dogs that would not bark are the ones who feel the just vengeance of an
offended God. Men, maidens, and little
children all perish together. The
abominations for which the faithful ones were sighing and crying were all that
could be discerned by finite eyes, but by far the worst sins, those which
provoked the jealousy of the pure and holy God, were unrevealed....Our own
course of action will determine whether we shall receive the seal of the living
God, or be cut down by the destroying weapons." If we were to mark out the exact time of the
beginning of this sealing, we would say it began sometime during 1929. Space will not Permit
us here to give our reasons for believing thus, but in another study this will
be taken up.
To get the proper understanding of the third
angel's message we shall divide it into three periods: (1) Beginning of the proclamation
of the true Sabbath, Rev. 14:6-11; (2) Reformation, and sealing of the 144,000, Rev. 7:1-8; (3) The Loud Cry, Rev. 18:1. The truth of the sealing (144,000) being made
known, it is evident that we are in the second period. If we had not known the commencement of the
third angel's message in its beginning, we would have had no message. Therefore, we must know the time of the last
two periods when they came, being of no lesser importance.
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Cause Of
Sighing And Crying
Volume 5, pages 210, 211: "In the time
when his wrath shall go forth in judgments, these humble, devoted followers of
Christ will be distinguished from the rest of the world by their soul-anguish,
which is expressed in lamentation and weeping reproofs and warnings. While others try to throw a cloak over the
existing evil, and excuse the great wickedness everywhere prevalent, those who
have a zeal for God's honor and a love for souls, will not hold their peace to
obtain favor of any. Their righteous
souls are vexed day by day with the unholy works and conversation of the
unrighteous. They are powerless to stop
the rushing torrent of iniquity, and hence they are filled with grief and
alarm. They mourn before God to see religion
despised in the very homes of those who have had great light. They lament and afflict their souls because
pride, avarice, selfishness, and deception of almost every kind are in the
church. The Spirit of God, which prompts
to reproof, is trampled under foot, while the servants of Satan triumph. God is dishonored, the truth made of none
effect....The abominations for which the faithful ones were sighing and crying
were all that could be discerned by finite eyes, but by far the worst sins,
those which provoked the jealousy of the pure and holy God, were
unrevealed."
Volume 1, pages 471, 472: "A great
mistake has been made by some who profess present truth, by introducing
merchandise in the course of a series of meetings, and by their traffic diverting
minds from the object of the meetings...."It is written, My house shall be
called the house of prayer, but ye have made it a den of thieves." These
traffickers might have pleaded as an excuse that the articles they held for
sale were for sacrificial offerings. But
their object was to get gain, to obtain means, to accumulate....Ministers have
stood in the desk and preached a most solemn discourse, and then by introducing
merchandise, and acting the part of a salesman, even in the house of God, they
have diverted the minds of their hearers from the impressions received, and
destroyed the fruit of their labor....Their
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time and strength should be held in reserve, that their
efforts may be thorough in a series of meetings. Their time and strength should not be drawn
upon to sell our books when they can be properly brought before the public by
those who have not the burden of preaching the word."
Volume 8, page 250: "Who can truthfully
say, 'Our gold is tried in the fire; our garments are
unspotted by the world'? I saw our
Instructor pointing to the garments of so-called righteousness. Stripping them off, He laid bare the
defilement beneath. Then He said to me:
"Can you not see how they have pretentiously covered up their defilement
and rottenness of character? 'How is the
faithful city become an harlot?' My Father's house is made a house of
merchandise, a place whence the divine presence and glory have departed! For this cause there is weakness, and
strength is lacking." Thus the time and the condition of the church at the
beginning of the sealing of the 144,000 is well
portrayed by both the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy. It is an admitted fact among Seventh-day
Adventists that the church has been on the decline for some years, but never
has it been in such a low spiritual condition as it is now. There is scarcely any difference now between
the church and the world.
Partial List Of
Abominations In The Church
1. Lack of reverence in the house of God: Isa. 56:7; Volume 5, pages 492-500.
2. Following the fashions of the world: Isa. 3:16; Volume 1, pages
269, 270; Volume 4, page
632; Volume 3, page 379; Volume 5, page 78; Volume 1, pages 189-191; Volume 1,
pages 135, 136; Volume 4, page 631.
3. Spending money for that which is not bread
(health reform): Isa.
55:2; Volume 5, page 197; Isa. 56:12. (Many references can be given from the
testimonies on this subject, but space will not permit them here.)
4. Use of tithe--school teachers (those who
teach the Scriptures)
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are not paid by the tithe as they should have been:
Volume 6, page 215.
5. The house of God is made into a house of merchandise
by buying and selling denominational publications of all sorts: Isa. 58:3; Isa. 56:7; Volume 1, pages
471, 472; Volume 8, page 250.
6. High prices in our institutions while they
should be below current expenses: Volume 8, page 142; Isa.
56:12; Isa. 58.
7. Disbelief in the Spirit of Prophecy: If not
acknowledged by words, it is admitted by works.
8. Failed to inform church members of Elijah's
message: Mal. 4:5; Testimonies to Ministers, page 475; Volume 4, pages 402,
403.
9. Abraham obeyed God in all that He commanded,
and was very careful even to the smallest particulars; thus it was counted to
him for righteousness, but we have not done so.
See Gen. 26:5; Gen. 15:6.
10. The promise of the land (heavenly
11. Insisting that we have all the truth and have
need of nothing.
12. Turning down Scriptural claims without
investigation as to its light. Volume 5 page 211: "The abominations for which the faithful ones
were sighing and crying were all that could be discerned by finite eyes, but by
far the worst sins, those which provoked the jealousy of the pure and holy God,
were unrevealed."
Will This Sealing Continue To The Close
Of Probation?
The sealing of the 144,000 can not extend to
the close of probation, for they must be sealed long before that time, and it
must close before the loud cry of the third angels' message. Early Writings, page 277 says: "I saw
angels hurrying to and fro in heaven,
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descending to the earth, and again ascending to heaven,
preparing for the fulfillment of some important event. Then I saw another mighty angel commissioned
to descend to the earth, to unite his voice with the third angel, and give
power and force to his message. Great
power and glory were imparted to the angel, and as he descended, the earth was
lightened with his glory....This message seemed to be an addition to the third
message." It seems in the
expression, "the angels hurrying to and fro," the author has
reference to the fulfillment of Ezekiel 9; and then follows the mighty angel of
the loud cry of Rev. 18:1.
Ezekiel 9, can not
meet its fulfillment at the time Christ comes in the clouds, for the slaughter
is in the church. The
As an illustration and comparison of the
faithfulness and unity of the people at the time of trouble during the plagues,
we quote Early Writings, pages 282-3: I saw the saints leaving the cities and
villages, and associating together in companies, and living in the most
solitary places. Angels provided them
food and water, while the wicked were suffering from hunger and thirst. Then I saw the leading men of the earth
consulting together, and Satan and his angels busy around them. I saw a writing, copies of which were
scattered in different parts of the land, giving orders that unless the saints
should yield their peculiar faith, give up the Sabbath, and observe the first
day of the week, the people were at liberty after a certain time, to put them
to death....but angels in the form of men of war fought for them. Satan wished to have the privilege of
destroying the saints of the
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Most High; but Jesus bade
His angels watch over them....Next came the multitude of the angry wicked, and
next a mass of evil angels, hurrying on the wicked to slay the saints. But before they could approach God's people,
the wicked must first pass this company of mighty, holy angels. This was impossible. The angels of God were causing them to
recede, and also causing the evil angels who were pressing around them to fall
back." It is evident here that God's people are apart by themselves, with
no wicked ones among them. Holy angels
would not protect unholy people from the wicked multitude. Here we see God's people separated from all
wickedness. Therefore this shows they
are in perfect unity at the time they leave the villages.
When then was this purification of the
church? Ezekiel 8, tells us of the
abominations done in the midst of
Five Men Follow The
One
The men with the slaughter weapons must
immediately follow the one with the writer's inkhorn. God must separate His people if the marking
is to be of any value and except the separation takes place, the outpouring of
the Holy Spirit can not fall in its fullness upon the people of God. "I asked the meaning of the shaking I
had seen and was shown that it would be caused by the straight testimony called
forth by the counsel of the True Witness to the Laodiceans. This will have its effect upon the heart of
the receiver, and will lead him to exalt the standard and pour forth the
straight truth. Some will not bear this
straight testimony. They will rise up
against it, and this is what will cause a shaking among God's people....I asked
what had made this great change. An angel
answered, 'It is the latter rain, the refreshing from the presence of the Lord,
the loud cry of the third angel'." Early Writings, pages
270, 271. It
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is clear that the shaking must take place before the
"Loud Cry." The men with the slaughter weapons were already slaying
before the man with the writer's inkhorn returned to report the matter that he
had done as he was commanded. See
Ezekiel 9:8, 11.
Distinction Between
144,000 And Other Saints
Referring to
When Moses came down from the mountain, he
took a record of all who had worshipped the calf. "Standing in the gate of the camp, Moses
called to the people, 'Who is on the Lord's side? Let him come unto
But God said, "
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of Ezekiel 9, and Isaiah 63, to which Isa. 66:16, 17, refers, will be sent on a great missionary
work during the time of the loud cry.
We read in Isa.
61:5, 6, "And strangers [Gentiles, or those who
are not of the 144,000] shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the
alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers. But ye shall be named the Priests of the
Lord: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: Ye shall eat the riches of
the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves." Others than
themselves (144,000) shall feed their flocks and dress their vines (do their
farming) in the same manner as it was with the tribe of Levi, for they had no
land. Though the Levites had no
inheritance of the land, they received about 25% of the increase in tithes and
offerings, thus others than themselves did their work. So with the 144,000, who will be priests in
the new earth.
The idea here is not that tithe and offerings from the people would be their
support in the earth made new. These
scriptures are merely given to illustrate the position which they occupy.
Isa. 61:7 says:
"For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice
in their portion: Therefore in their land they shall possess the double:
Everlasting joy shall be unto them."
Having two pronouns, "ye" and "they," the pronoun
"ye" receives double for their shame, but the pronoun "they"
shall possess the land. "Ye"
is the pronoun of the second person to whom God is speaking, and in this case
refers to Israel (which is the 144,000), but the pronoun "they"
refers to the Gentiles who were not numbered among the twelve tribes and
therefore are not included in the 144,000, but are saved for "they"
rejoice in their portion.
In Volume 5, pages 475-6, speaking of the
144,000, we read: "They are to be as kings and priests unto God....'These
are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth'." Therefore, the 144,000 are priests, and
Christ the High Priest, (and King). It
may be said that when probation closes Christ takes off His priestly garments,
and is Priest no longer, but there need be no confusion in this, for we read in
Isa. 66:22, 23: "For as the new heavens and the
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new earth, which I will make, shall remain before Me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name
remain. And it shall come to pass, that
from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh
come to worship before Me saith
the Lord." Thus we see that there is to be a system of worship in the new
heaven and earth which will require Priests and Levites.
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